Valve eob air-cooled spabk-pltjgs



l. J. SMITH, JR. VALVE FOR AIR COOLED SPARK PLUGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2. m9.

1,363,623. Patented Dec. 28,1920.

INVENTOI? WIT 8859 A TTORNEYS' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH JOHN SMITH, JR OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

VALVE FOR AIR-COOLED SPARK-PLUGS.

Application filed April 2,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J osnrrr JOHN SMITH, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Air-Cooled Spark-Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in valves for air cooled spark plugs, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed. I

An object of my invention is to provide a valve which will act automatically on the intake stroke of the piston of the engine to which the spark plug is applied to permit a stream of cold air to-play on the spark plug tips, thereby tending to free the latter of any carbon accumulation, and keeping the spark plug cool.

A further object of my invention is to provide 'a device of the type described in which the valve requires only a very slight movement to permit the required amount of a i L the interior of the conductor to the terminal air to enter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a spark plug embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through a portion of a modified form;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a portion of another modified form;

Fig. 4 is an enlargedsection along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a another modified form; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. 7

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have shown therein an insulating core 1 having a central passage in which is disposed a hollow conductor 2 provided with a sparking tip 3 which may be made of any suitable metal. The tube or conductor 2 is threaded at 4'to engage the threaded opening in the bottom 5 of a metal cylinder 6, which is hollow, and whose upper open end is threaded at 7 to engage a threaded opening in the lower portion of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented D 28 1920 1919. Serial no. 286,841.

end of a cap 8. The latter has at its top a recess 9 and a central passage 10 arranged to communicate with the interior of the cyllnder 6. A groove 11 is provided for the terminal clip. A valve 12 fits snugly on the interior of the cylinder 6 and is provided with a recess 13 arranged to receive the upper end of the conductor 2. The upper end of the valve 13 shown in Fig. l is of a conical shape to engage a conical valve seat 14 in the cap 8. A passage 15 extends from the recess 13 and terminates at the conical end of thevalve in the manner shown. A gasket 16, is provided between the end of the cylinder 6 and the insulating core 1. The core with its connections as described above, may be used with any suitable shell.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. On the intake stroke of the engine the valve 12 will be moved against the tension of the spring 17 away from its seat 14, thereby permitting air to pass through the passage 10, the passage 15, the recess 13, and through 3. The cap 8 by reason of the recess 9, serves as a prlming cup. I In Fig. 2 I have shown a modified form in which the block 18 is provided with a cylindrical recess 19 having therein a valve 20. which is provided with a passage 21 therethrough, and may be provided with apassage 22 shown in dotted lines. The cap 23 screws into the upper end of the recess or bore 19. A second cylindri al recess 24 is normally closed by a s rew plug 25. A ball valve 26 fits on a semi-spherical seat 27. A passage 28 connects the recess 19 with the recess 2 1, while a passage 29 connects the recess 241 with the interior of the hollow conductor 2*.

In this form of the device, on the intake stroke of the engine, the ball valve 26 is raised from its seat, while the valve 20 is moved downwardly against the tension of low conductor 2. In this form of the device the valve 33 is cylindrical as shown in Fig. 4, and has radial openings 3% communicating with a circumferential groove 35, the latter being in communication with bypasses 36 in the wall of the member 31, so that when the valve is moved away from its seat, air will pass down the by-passes 36 through the groove 35, and the openings 34, and thence through the hollow conductor 2 In Fig. 5, the valve 37 is cylindrical, and is provided with longitudinal grooves 38, and a transverse groove 39, which communieates by means of an opening 40 with the interior of the hollow conductor 2 The valve when leaving its seat in the member 4.1, permits air to pass downwardly through the passages 38, 39, and 40 into the interior of the hollow conductor 2.

I claim:

1. In a valve construction for air cooled spark plugs, an insulating core, a hollow conductor carried thereby, a cylinder can ried by the core, a cylindrical valve disposed in said cylinder and having a conical end, a conical-shaped valve seat carried by the cylinder, and a passage in the body of the valve for establishing communication between one end of said hollow conductor and the space between the conical end of the valve and its valve seat when the valve has left its seat.

2. In a valve construction for air cooled spark plugs, an insulating core, a hollow conductor carried thereby, a cylinder carried by the core, a cylindrical valve disposed in said cylinder and having a conical end, a conical-shaped valve seat carried by the cylinder, a passage in the body of the valve for establishing communication between one end of said hollow conductor and the space between the conical end of the valve and its valve seat when the valve has left its seat, and a spring disposed between the cylinder for normally retaining the valve on its seat.

3. In a valve construction for air cooled spark plugs, an insulating core, a hollow conductor carried thereby, a cylinder carried by the core, a cylindrical valve disposed in said cylinder and having a conical end, a conical-shaped valve seat carried by the cylinder, said valve having a recess at the end opposite the conical-shaped end for receiving the end of the hollow conductor to guide the valve in its movement, and a spring disposed between the cylinder and arranged to bear on the end of the valve having the recess.

4. In a valve construction for air cooled spark plugs, an insulating core, a hollow conductor carried thereby, a cylinder carried by the core, a cylindrical valve disposed in said cylinder and having a conical end, a conical-shaped valve seat carried by the cylinder, said valve having a recess at the end opposite the conical-shaped end for reciVing the end of the hollow conductor to guide the valve in its movement, a spring disposed between the cylinder and arranged to bear on the end of the valve having the recess, and a passage extending from the recess to the conical end of the valve.

JOSEPH JOHN SMITH, JR. 

